Cold wave in Delhi? Incessant rainfall intensifies biting cold, IMD expects more showers in NCR

Rain continued to lash parts of Delhi early Saturday, dropping temperatures in the national capital. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms at several locations across Delhi and NCR, with more rainfall expected in the day.

Delhiites could also expect smog or shallow to moderate fog in the morning and cloudy weather later in the day.

Delhi areas on alert

Rains are expected in areas including Palam, Safdarjung, Lodi Road, IGI Airport, Mehrauli, Chhattarpur, Ayanagar, Deramandi, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Manesar. Noida and Manesar are also likely to witness moderate to heavy rainfall and lightning.

The IMD also forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms in parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This includes Yamunanagar, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, and Hodal in Haryana; Saharanpur, Gangoh, Deoband, Muzaffarnagar, Sakoti Tanda, Baraut, Daurala, Baghpat, Meerut, Modinagar, Kithor, and Nandgaon in Uttar Pradesh; and Tizara and Alwar in Rajasthan.

Incessant rainfall since Friday

Delhi has been witnessing incessant rainfall since Friday, December 27. This caused widespread waterlogging and severe traffic snarls in various parts of Delhi. Visuals from Burari revealed significant traffic congestion due to waterlogging.

According to the IMD, Delhi recorded its highest rainfall in December in 15 years on Friday. The heavy rains started in the early hours of Thursday and continued throughout the day.

Trees were also uprooted in several areas of the national capital. In Sector-9, RK Puram, a portion of a road caved in, causing a motorcycle and a car to fall into the affected area.

Meanwhile, rains lashed several parts of Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh late on Friday night.

The IMD said the "interaction of Western Disturbance with easterly winds over central parts of India" triggered the rainfall in Northwest and Central India.

"As predicted by IMD on 19 Dec 20204, well in advance with lead time of 7 to 8 days, the current active WD [Western Disturbance] along with its induced systems today 27th Dec, causing wet spell over plains of Northwest India and adjoining western Himalayan region including over Delhi," the IMD posted on X.

Cold wave in Delhi

The minimum temperature in the city on Saturday was 12 degrees Celcius, with a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius. The IMD declares a Cold Wave "when the minimum temperature of a station is 10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees C or less for Hilly regions."

In its weather update on Friday, the IMD said Cold Day conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand and Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on December 27-28.

Delhi air quality

The rains improved Delhi's air quality little, though it remains in the 'very poor' category. As of 2 PM Friday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 355, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Specific readings showed AQI levels of 390 in Anand Vihar, 314 at IGI Airport (T3), 329 in Aya Nagar, 327 at Lodhi Road, 360 at ITO, 300 in Chandni Chowk, and 361 in Punjabi Bagh.

For comparison, AQI readings at 7 AM were higher: 398 in Anand Vihar, 340 at IGI Airport (T3), 360 in Aya Nagar, 345 at Lodhi Road, 380 at ITO, 315 in Chandni Chowk, and 386 in Punjabi Bagh.

The Central government's air quality monitoring panel recently revoked Stage IV ('Severe ') measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) following improved air quality. However, Stages I, II, and III remain in effect to prevent further deterioration, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced on December 24.

The improvement in air quality has been attributed to favourable meteorological conditions, including improved wind speeds, as per forecasts from the IMD and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).